PORTLAND — Portland school officials say recent testing of the drinking water at public schools in the district show that lead levels are safe.

City staff took samples of water for testing earlier this year after the lead poisoning crisis in Flint, Michigan, made national news. The samples were taken at 17 public school facilities and analyzed by the Portland Water District last month.

School officials said on Thursday the tests showed lead levels were below the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s action level of 15 micrograms per liter.

The water district says water coming into school facilities does not contain lead, so any lead would originate from interior plumbing and fixtures. It says trace amounts of lead in drinking water is common in buildings in Maine.


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